Pouring spout for cartons



Feb. 8, 1955 A. READ POURING SPOUT FOR CARTONS Filed Nov. '12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l A R THUR READ INVENTOR.

Feb. 8, 1955 A. READ 2,701,578

POURING SPOUT FOR CARTONS Filed Nov. 12. 1949 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AR THUR REA 0 INVENTOR.

United States Patent POURING SPOUT FOR CARTONS Arthur Read, Portland, 0reg., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Floseal Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application November 12, 1949, Serial No. 126,799

1 Claim. (CI. 229--17) These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored cardboard blank insert to be folded over on itself and secured to the interior of two adjoining walls of a carton to form a pouring spout therefor in accordance with my inventron;

Figure 2 is a view of Figure 1 with the top portion of the blank folded downwardly to overlap the lower portion thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a carton with a fragment of a side wall torn away to illustrate my spout attachment secured to two adjoining walls of the carton.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of a carton showing a sealing tab formed in one of the end flaps of the carton and an adjoining side wall.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the sealing tab torn upwardly away from said adjoining walls of the carton to provide access to the pouring spout attached to the inside of said walls.

Figure 7 is another view similar to Figure 5 showing 5 the sealing tab returned to a closed position and locked with respect to one wall of the carton for maintaining the spout in closed position.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately along the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a carton blank illustrating a modified form of the invention wherein the spout feature and cooperating sealing tab are formed in extensions of side walls of the carton.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the carton blank shown in Figure 9 in final folded form and with fragments of the top end flap broken away for convenience in illustrating underlying parts.

Figure 11 is a plan view of a modified form of pouring spout formed in either the lower portion of the blank insert or in an extension of one wall of the carton.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings:

The spout attachment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 comprises a blank formed with a lower section 1 formed integral with an upper section 2 which is foldable downwardly about a fold line 3 into surface contact with the lower section as best illustrated in Figure 3. When so folded both sections are formed with fold lines 4 about which the attachment may be folded at angular relation to itself as best illustrated in Figure 4 for attachment to one side wall 5 of a carton and an adjoining top or end wall 6 thereof. The corresponding surfaces of the attachment are provided with an adhesive 6A over areas substantially as shown.

The lower section 1 of the attachment is cut as at 7 to 2,701,678 Patented Feb. 8, 1955 form a pouring spout having a front or bottom wall 8, and side walls 9 and 10 each movable about fold lines 11 and 12, respectively, into parallel positions as will be more fully hereinafter described. The bottom outside corner of each side wall is formed into a limit stop 13 to prevent excessive opening of the spout as it is moved outwardly about a hinge or fold line 14.

The upper section 2 of the attachment is formed with an opening 15 of slightly greater length and width than the length and width of the wall portion 8 of the pouring spout. One end of the opening 15 is formed with slot extensions 16 to receive and guide the walls 9 and 10 of the spout in their opening and closing movements. The opposite end of the opening 15 terminates in an arcuate opening '17 of greater width than the spout to receive one end of a sealing flap as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. From the foregoing, and with particular reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4, it will be apparent that the pouring spout may be swung from a closed to an open position as shown in full and dotted lines, respectively, in Figure 3 about the fold line 4 through an opening 18 formed by the removal or tearing away of a sealing tab 19 formed and defined by perforations 20 in the top wall or end flap 21 of the carton and in an adjoining side wall 22 of the carton.

The filled carton is delivered to the user in a completely sealed and sanitary condition with the sealing tab closed as illustrated in Figure 5. Following this and when the carton is ready for use the sealing tab is torn upwardly to uncover the spout as'illustrated in Figure 6 and the spout may then be swung outwardly into an open and pouring position as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Upon again closing the spout into the position shown in Figure 6 or 8 the sealing tab 19 is now replaced within the opening 18 and its tapered end portion 23 is then inserted through the slot 17 for engagement between the abutting surfaces 1 and 2 of the upper and lower sections as best illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, to securely lock the spout in a closed position and to protect it against contamination and accidental or unintentional opening.

It is to be understood, of course, that the sealing tab may be perforated across its rearmost edge so that it may be completely removed from the carton if desired.

As best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the projections or limit stops 13 formed on the outside corners of the side walls 9 and 10 of the spout come into contact with the surface of the lower portion 1 of the attachment to prevent the spout from being swung entirely around its hinge or fold line 14.

In .the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 wherein the pouring spout and sealing flap features are built into the carton, the carton blank is formed with vertical fold lines 24, 25, 26, and 27 to define carton panels or side walls 28, 29, 30 and 31 and also a sealing flap 32 for adhesive attachment to the outside marginal edge of the wall 28 for securing the carton in final folded form.

The panel 28 is extended into a flap or portion 33 the equivalent of the lower section 1 of the attachment shown in the other form of the invention and also into a section 34 the equivalent of the upper section 2 of said other form of the invention. The lower section 33 is cut and scored to form a pouring spout 35 and the upper section is formed with an opening 36 to surround the spout as in the other form of the invention.

A sealing tab 37 and locking end portion 38 are formed by perforations 39 and 40 in the end flap 41 extending from the wall 30 and in an extension 42 of said end flap. The carton walls 29 and 31 are formed with partial end flaps 43 and 44 respectively.

The manner of assembling or folding the carton into final form is illustrated in Figure 10 wherein the wall 29 is folded about the fold line 24 into a position at right angles to the wall 28 of the carton. The walls 29 and 30 are folded about the fold line 25 at right angles to each other and the wall 31 is folded about the is folded downwardly against the lower section 33 and both sections are then folded at right angles to each other along the'matching fold lines 45 to position the spout directly beneath the sealing flap 37 formed in the end wall of flap 41 (see Fig. 10). The partial flaps, or continuations 43 and 44 of the carton walls 29 and 31, are turned inwardly with respect to the walls of the carton to provide marginal supports for the side edges of the flap 41. The outside (before folding) of the lower section 33 is provided with an adhesive as indicated at 46 for attaching that section to the underside of the extension or end flap 41 when said flap is moved into a closed position. The extension 42 and the marginal edges of the end flap 41 are also provided with an adhesive as indicated at 47 for attachment to the outside of the wall 28 of the carton and to the supporting flaps 43 and 44. By this arrangement the folded upper and lower sections of the Plll'lllg spout flap are securely held against the underside of the end flap 41 and the extension flap 42 thereof is securely held against the outside surface of the carton wall 28 and thus provides a strong durable construction to resist the tearing away of the opening of the sealing flap 37 and also to resist any collapsing loads of the carton under gripping pressure by the user.

The modified form of spout shown 1n Figure 11 has the bottom edges 48 of its side walls 49 and 50 formed on diverging angles to position the limit-stop extensions 51 and 52 in such a way that the fold line 53 extends from the top corner of each limit-stop to the inside corners of the side walls at the hinge or fold line of the spout.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:'

In a carton having a wall formed with an opening and a tab closing said opening, a cardboard piece folded on itself to provide an inner'section and an outer section extending over said opening, said outer section being secured to the inner side of said wall, an opening formed in said outer section substantially coaxial with the opening in said wall and a pouring spout formed in said inner section having a central portion substantially in register with said opening in said outer section forming the bottom of said pouring spout and movable about a fold line into open and closed positions through said opening, a single folding crease formed in said inner section along said line and a pair of spaced folding creases extending angularly from the ends of said single folding crease defining opposite edges of said central portion, wing portions extending oppositely outwardly of said central portion and along said pair of folding creases defining the sides of said pouring spout, said wing portions having free edges extending divergently from opposite ends of said single folding crease and in a direction generally away from said pair of folding creases to expedite the bending of said wing portions along said pair of folding creases upon drawing said pouring spout through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,683,116 Wood Sept. 4, 1928 1,914,543 Trost June 20, 1933 2,010,863 Johnson Aug. 13, 1935 2,019,943 Venning et al. Nov. 5, 1935 2,531,630 Jones Nov. 28, 1950 2,551,450 Minton May 1, 1951 2,601,399 Jones June 24, 1952 

